CBK/RFP/044/2026-2027: Project Management Services for…

What is being bought

Central Bank of Kenya requests proposals from consulting firms to provide project management services for its Granular Data Integration (GDI) Project, under a Request for Proposals using Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS). Quantities, duration and location of the services are not stated in the material reviewed (the Terms of Reference in Section 5 were not provided). Tender documents are obtainable free of charge from tenders.go.ke or centralbank.go.ke.

What could disqualify you

Firms or individuals involved in corrupt, coercive, obstructive, collusive or fraudulent practice are automatically disqualified and would not be awarded a contract. Standard rule D2 p.7
Public officers of the Procuring Entity and their close relatives or associates, and firms in which they have a substantial or controlling interest, are not eligible to tender. Standard rule D2 p.7
A firm submitting or taking part in more than one proposal, either alone or in a joint venture, has all such proposals disqualified and rejected. Standard rule D2 p.9
Proposals received after the deadline are declared late, rejected and returned unopened. Unsealed or wrongly marked envelopes are not accepted if misplaced or opened early. Standard rule D2 p.11
Proposing alternative Key Experts or submitting more than one CV per Key Expert position makes the proposal non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.10
A Technical Proposal containing material financial information is declared non-responsive. A financial proposal that is not itemised and priced, or that only refers to other legal instruments for minimum fees, is non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.10
A proposal is disqualified if a Key Expert named in it was not available at submission or was included without their confirmation. Standard rule D2 p.9
Technical proposals must reach the mandatory eligibility stage: failing any of the stated mandatory criteria (see mandatory_documents and financial_requirements) means the proposal is not evaluated further. A proposal is rejected at technical stage if it scores below the 75% minimum technical score. D2 p.20

Key facts

Closing: Fri 13 Nov 2026, 10:30 am
Proposals must be received by CBK by 13 November 2026 at 10:30 a.m. EAT. No addenda changing this date were provided. D2 p.1
Bid / tender security: Original Bid Bond of KES 50,000.00 submitted with the tender, valid for at least 170 days from the date of tender opening. D2 p.4
Tender fee: Tender documents may be downloaded free of charge from tenders.go.ke or centralbank.go.ke. No tender fee is stated for this tender. D2 p.4
Site visit: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P
Pre-bid meeting: Optional
Pre-proposal meeting held virtually. Interested bidders who intend to attend must share their details by email to supplies@centralbank.go.ke. The date conflicts between documents: the Instructions say 28 October 2026 and the Data Sheet says 28 September 2026. Conflicting D2 p.4
Reserved for: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P
Contract value: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D2 p.4
Tender opening: Technical Proposals are opened immediately after the closing time in the 6th Floor Senior Staff Canteen, Central Bank of Kenya, Head Office, Nairobi. Bidders or their representatives may attend. Financial Proposals of technically qualified bidders are opened later at a public opening. D1 p.1
Tender validity: Proposals must remain valid for 140 days from the closing date of 13 November 2026. The bid bond must be valid for at least 170 days from tender opening. D2 p.4

Who can apply

Open to eligible firms under National Open Tender. Consultants, joint ventures and individual members may offer services from all countries and categories unless the Data Sheet says otherwise. Maximum JV membership: N/A. D2 p.4
Reservation of this tender to a specific group (SMEs, women, youth, or persons with disability) is not stated. The Data Sheet does not specify any reservation. Not stated D2 p.8

Application checklist

Tick items off as you prepare. Your ticks stay on this device only.

Required from every bidder

Certificate of Incorporation or registration certificate (legal structure), as evidence of company registration. D2 p.22
Valid Certificate of Tax Compliance issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (or equivalent for foreign firms), valid at least up to the tender closing date (13 November 2026). D2 p.22
Fully filled forms from the tender document: Confidential Business Questionnaire, SD1 and SD2 Forms, Certificate of Independent Proposal Determination, and Declaration and commitment to the code of ethics. D2 p.22
Original Bid Bond of KES 50,000.00 valid for at least 170 days from the date of tender opening. D2 p.22
Audited accounts for at least two consecutive years, signed by the auditor who prepared them. A copy of the auditor's practising licence and the company director(s) licence(s) must be attached. The table names 2023, 2024 and 2025 (see conflicts). Conflicting D2 p.22
Proposal must include a Power of Attorney for the signatory, and must be signed by the person with power of attorney. A joint venture proposal must be signed by all members or by an authorised representative with a written power of attorney from each member. Standard rule D2 p.11
Technical Proposal (inner envelope) contents: Power of Attorney; TECH-1 Technical Proposal Submission Form; TECH-2 Consultant's Organization and Experience; TECH-3 Comments and Suggestions; TECH-4 Approach, Methodology and Workplan; TECH-5 Work Schedule; TECH-6 Team Composition and Key Experts' Input; TECH-7 Mandatory Documentary Evidence. D2 p.18
Financial Proposal (second inner envelope): FIN-1 Financial Proposal Submission Form; FIN-2 Summary of Costs; FIN-3 Breakdown of Remuneration; FIN-4 Breakdown of Reimbursable Expenses. D2 p.18

Required only in some situations

Joint venture agreement signed and dated by the parties and witnessed by an Attorney. Applies only if bidding as a joint venture. D2 p.18
If bidding as a joint venture: each JV party must independently comply with MR 1, MR 2 and MR 3, and the Lead Partner must comply with all Mandatory Requirements. The JV must also seek Competition Authority exemption as a condition of award and contract signature (not a condition of submission). D2 p.18

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

Specific experience of the firm (scored, maximum 20 marks): at least three comparable assignments successfully completed in large banks, financial sector regulators or highly regulated institutions earns 15 marks; a Central Bank assignment earns 5 marks. Evidence (signed contracts, completion certificates, client reference letters) is required; CBK will verify references. D2 p.22
Evaluation has five stages: Stage 1 mandatory requirements; Stage 2 technical evaluation on capacity to deliver; Stage 3 financial evaluation; Stage 4 weighting of technical against financial score; Stage 5 negotiation and award recommendation. Technical proposals must score at least 75% to qualify for financial evaluation. D2 p.22
Work plan, organisation and staffing, and Key Experts' qualifications are scored. Key Expert positions K-1 (Team Leader) and others are listed as placeholders in the Data Sheet; the actual positions and minimum qualifications are in Appendix B and the Terms of Reference, not in the material reviewed. Unverified D2 p.20
Proposal must be valid for the period in the Data Sheet (140 days from closing), and Key Experts' availability must be confirmed for the validity period. D2 p.4

Financial

Prices must be net inclusive of all applicable taxes and levies, stated in Kenya Shillings, and remain valid for 140 days from closing. D2 p.4
Capacity Building Levy of 0.03% of the contract value, exclusive of applicable taxes, is deducted by CBK and remitted to PPRA under PPRA circular 01/2024 and Legal Notice 206 of 2023. Price must include all associated costs and taxes. D2 p.20
Professional liability insurance with minimum coverage of Kshs. 5 million is required for the consultant under the contract conditions. D2 p.69
Prices must be quoted in Kenya Shillings; currency conversion uses the CBK selling exchange rate on the RFP opening date. D2 p.20

How and where to submit

Deliver a single sealed outer envelope marked with the reference number and name of the assignment, containing separate sealed inner envelopes: Technical Proposal (ORIGINAL and COPIES) and Financial Proposal (ORIGINAL), each bearing the CBK name and address, the firm's name and the reference number. D2 p.12
Hand delivery: deposit in Green Tender Box No. 3 at the main entrance, ground floor of Central Bank of Kenya along Haile Selassie Avenue, or post to Director, General Services Department, Central Bank of Kenya, P.O. Box 60000-00200, Nairobi, to be received on or before the closing time. D2 p.4
Submission is in written physical form. The electronic procurement system is not used for this tender (Data Sheet 1(j)). D2 p.18
Each page of the bid, including addenda, appendices and attachments, must be serialised. D1 p.1
Proposals must be in English. Number of required copies is referenced to the Data Sheet but the number is not stated in the material reviewed. Not stated D2 p.11

Lots and categories

No lots. Single assignment. Not stated D2 p.4

What the addenda changed

No addenda were provided in the material reviewed. Check tenders.go.ke and centralbank.go.ke for any addenda before submitting. Not stated P

Points to confirm with the procuring entity

The documents do not agree with each other on these points. Ask the procuring entity for a written clarification before you submit.

Pre-proposal meeting date: The Instructions to Consultants say 28 October 2026 at 10.30 am EAT, while the Data Sheet says 28 September 2026 at 10.30 am EAT. Ask CBK to confirm the date before the meeting. (D2 p.4 (ITC 9) vs D2 p.18 (Data Sheet 2.3))
Audited accounts years: The Data Sheet asks for audited accounts for at least two consecutive years. The Mandatory Requirements table (MR5) names 2023, 2024 and 2025. Ask CBK which years must be submitted. (D2 p.20 (Data Sheet 22.1 iv) vs D2 p.22 (MR5))
Notice period for financial proposal opening: The Instructions say the financial opening date must allow no less than five (5) Business Days after notification. The Data Sheet says two (2) Business Days. Ask CBK which applies. (D2 p.13 (ITC 23.4) vs D2 p.20 (Data Sheet 23.4))

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

Number of copies of the technical and financial proposals (Data Sheet ITC 17.5 not included)
Data Sheet ITC 12.1 page confirming the validity period text
Section 5 Terms of Reference, including scope, deliverables and duration
Appendix B Key Expert positions and minimum qualifications
Estimated contract value or budget amount
Weighting of technical and financial scores and the full technical scoring table
Procurement-related complaint procedures (Data Sheet ITC 37.1)
Any addenda issued after the tender notice
Confirmation of the pre-proposal meeting date (28 October or 28 September 2026)
Site visit requirements, if any
Data Sheet for ITC 36 publication period and contract start date
Section 6 Standard Form of Contract (lump sum) terms and payment schedule

Terms explained

RFP: Request for Proposals: a tender method where firms submit a technical and financial proposal for consulting services.
QCBS: Quality and Cost Based Selection: proposals are scored on technical quality and on price, then combined.
Bid Bond / Tender Security: Money guarantee submitted with the bid, here KES 50,000.00, which can be forfeited if a bidder breaches the tender rules.
TDS / Data Sheet: Tender Data Sheet: the tender-specific values that override the standard Instructions to Consultants.
Mandatory Requirements (MR): Pass/fail checks (MR1 to MR5) that every proposal must meet before technical scoring.
Responsive: A proposal that meets all required conditions of the RFP; a non-responsive proposal is rejected.
Key Experts: The core professional staff named in the proposal; a Key Expert position may have only one CV.
Joint Venture (JV): Two or more firms bidding together; requires a signed agreement and Competition Authority exemption before contract signature.
AGPO: Affirmative action preference for youth, women and persons with disability. Not applied to this tender as no reservation is stated.
Power of Attorney: Written authority allowing a named person to sign the proposal for the firm.
Business Days: Working days, used for the notice period before public opening of financial proposals.

CBK/RFP/044/2026-2027: Project Management Services for the Granular Data Integration (GDI) Project, Central Bank of Kenya